Swallowtail Butterfly
by NarutoAngel
Summary: As a Alchemist warrior, Hinata only has one thing to do. But what if the ones she must destroy are the very ones she must save? Naru/BusoRenkin crossover
1. Hinata

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Buso Renkin.**

**A/N: This is a light AU story. Hinata is a Hyuga, but not in the same sense. All will be explained as the story progress. Enjoy.**

**1****st**** Night - Hinata**

She blinked twice to see if she was dreaming. But the pale hand with the strong supple fingers was still there, held out stretched in front of her. Carefully, slowly, the little girl reached out and touched the hand lightly with the pads of her fingers. The skin felt smooth and a bit cool to the low temperature the room was kept in. But she could feel its strength and slowly, cautiously, she linked their fingers together.

He closed hi hand over hers, his thumb stroking her palm.

She looked up, her sickly, lavender eyes staring into his cool gray ones through the glare of his glasses. He was tall, his slim-muscled body cloaked in black. His white hair looped differently in spikes, with a spiral strand hanging down the right side of his face.

She lifted her other hand to play with it and he let her, bending lower so she can reach more.

"What is your name?" he asked softly.

Her lips were cracked and her voice came out as a croak. But he heard her clearly. "Simone."

He looked a bit taken back, but his expression became impassive again. "Is that what they called you?"

She nodded in reply.

His thumb continued to stroke her hand calmly as he thought quietly. It made her a bit confused about what his attentions were and she struggled to sit up.

The man helped the little girl, putting her in an upright position, making sure she was comfortable.

"That is not your name," he told her.

"Huh?" She stared at him, not quite believing what he was saying. All her life, she was living in this place, where the walls were white, the light turned horribly high that it burns her eyes, and where escape was impossible. But there wasn't much to escape from.

Not knowing her past, not knowing her parents, her life had consisted of two things : pain and darkness. If she focused on the darkness, she could almost forget the pain and so her life has been lived in a haze.

But now, this man, this in front of her was telling her something. Something that would redefine her whole existence. It was almost too hard _not _to believe.

He leaned down and wrapped her in his black coat. he lifted her, holding close to his chest, her hand still holding tightly to his hair. Her grip only grew tighter as he began to take her out of the blank space that once had been her cell.

"Wh-what…is m-my… name?" she asked, curling in his arm.

"Hinata," he replied, walking through the halls in the exit's direction. "Your name is Hinata Simone."

"At the facility, we found evidence of alchemy experimentation along with the remains of a shattered kakugane. Casualties consist of the twenty staff members including the eight scientists reported; none from our field. In the entirety of the building, only one subject was found. The files in the lab has identified her as Hinata Simone, undetermined age and unknown origins," Shosei Sakaguchi reported to his superiors.

"Were there anything in the reports that can tell why they had this girl and for what purposes?" one of the superiors asked.

"No. Whoever wrote these reports never mentioned why they had the girl in the first place. I believe this is another case of a kidnapped orphan being used for experimentation."

They muttered among themselves, their low voices meaning that Shosei was not to hear. At last, one of them spoke to him in a formal tone.

"Sakaguchi Shosei, we shall leave the child in your care. If the experiments done on her involved a kakugane, it must be related to the Philosopher's Stone. Report any findings."

"Understood."

"Dismissed."

Shosei bowed and made his leave.

The girl had been relocated to a ward near his own quarters. It was a modest room, with a large bed in one corner and a separate room for the bathroom. What was so special about this room was the view it had of the Asian sea, the vast of blue that seemed to stretch on forever.

This is where Shosei found the little girl, staring out at the ocean with a longing expression. She was such a small child, thin but healthy enough. Long black hair that shone blue in the right lighting, nearly trimmed and reached down to the small of her back. Her skin was extremely pale from not being in the outside world for a long time, so much that even the smallest amount of sunlight gives her slight sunburns.

And yet, here she was, in the sun, taking as much as she could like a drug. Her eyes were narrowed from the glare, but she stared there doggedly in its rays.

Hinata turned to face him when he came in, her lavender tinted white eyes startling him with their uniqueness. It made him stare for a bit, enough time for her to leave the window and give him a bow.

"G-good m-morning, sir," she stuttered.

"Good morning, Hinata." Shosei smiled at her. He came closer, coming to kneel before her. "How are you? Are they treating you well?"

Hinata enthusiastically, her blue locks bobbing up and down as she moved her head. "Ye-yes! Everyone h-has been k-kind t-to me. I-I've never sl-slept in a-a b-bed so n-nice b-before," she answered him truthfully. Though he kneeled, she still had to lift her chin up to see him.

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that you're being so well taking care of." He patted her on the head, ruffling her hair. "Tell me, Hinata. Do you remember anything that those men in white did to you?"

She looked up in thought, her face scrutinizing in concentration. "W-well, they always at-talked about my en-endu-enduwaren?" she said, looking to him for confirmation.

"Endurance?" Shosei supplied.

"Uh huh! That's it." Hinata bobbed her head. "Th-they kept p-putting me in m-mazes and h-had me go in c-circles a lot. S-sometimes, I st-stayed for h-hours and s-sometimes for d-days. Once, th-they made me st-stay for a w-week."

_How cruel._ "Anything else?" he asked.

She thought about it some more. "W-well, every time th-they gave me something th-through the st-strings or wh-when they give m-me some candy, it h-hurts a lot and I-I black out and c-cant remember a-anything. It was a-always dark."

"I see."

"I-I'm sorry th-that I can d-do anything else," she apologized, looking down in shame.

"Don't worry about it, Hinata. You've done enough." He patted her head again and then stood. "Come. I want to show something."

Shosei took her hand and began to lead her from her room. He took her through an elaborate route, leading her towards the outside.

The courtyard was filled with many warriors, some training alone, some in battle with one another. None, turn their way as the two of them passed. Hinata watched, seeing them they fought each other with strange weapons, calling out varies names. But one saying was constant.

**BUSO RENKIN!**

"Um, sir?" She looked at the man.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"Wh-what's buso r-renkin?" Hinata asked.

"Buso Renkin. Well, the best I could explain is it is a weapon produced by alchemy. They come in varies forms and activates on the user's fighting spirit. While dormant, the weapon is called kakugane," Shosei explained.

"K-kakugane?" she repeated.

"Yes. A kakugane is a precious alloy created by alchemy long ago. It is what we use to fight monsters known as the homunculi."

The name struck a chord of her heart. Her small hand trembled in the man's large hand. She began to pant heavily and her entire body quivered with fear. Her large, lavender eyes began blank as she suddenly saw something in her mind's eye.

"Hinata?" Shosei looked down at the girl who had suddenly stopped and stared at him with the greatest fear he's ever seen in a child. It was like she was staring at the Devil himself, the way her entire expression looked. "Hinata! Hinata, look at me."

He grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her a bit in an attempt to shake her out of her trance. He shook her again, staring straight to her eyes.

"Hinata," he demanded. "Look at me, child."

Hinata gasped, but blinked and her eyes became stable once more. "M-mama," she whispered. "I think, I think I saw Mama."

Shosei didn't reply, but waited for her to continue.

"Wh-when you said h-homunculi, I-I remembered something," she said. "Something th-that the men always said. Th-that Mama did something t-to me, t-to save m-me from the homunculi. B-but I don't kn-know any homunculi, do I?" The girl looked up at the man. "What is a homunculi?"

Shosei didn't respond for a long while. Then he softly replied, "A homunculus is a monster who eats humans. They, too, are a product of alchemy. And as our mistake, that is why we must destroy them."

The doors opened behind them, signifying that they had stopped in front of a room, separate from the main buildings and located in its own compound. Shosei stood and took her hand again, leading her inside the room.

It was a large gym, with racks of wooden weapons lining the walls. It was here he stood her in the middle of the gym, before walking away to the opposite side.

"I am going to attack you, Hinata. And when I do, I want you to attack me with all of your power." He turned around. "Get ready."

"Wh-what?" She watched as he held out a silver emblem with a black serial number on it, though it was in a different language than she knew.

"Buso Renkin!" he called. "Buster Baron!"

Hinata didn't know what was happening. All she knew what that something was coming towards her, something that she needed to get away from desperately.

Needed to get away.

Need.

To.

Get.

Away!

"NOOOOO!!!"

There was an explosion, one that threw the Buster Baron nearly a hundred feet, smashing through concrete and plaster of several buildings. When the rumbling stopped, one could hear a girl child crying hysterically with fear.

Shosei lifted himself from the rubble he was thrown nearly five feet away. He felt the pain of a few bruises and though himself lucky. The attack had been aimed directly at his Buso Renkin; he just felt the after effects. It was still powerful enough to cause him some damage, though.

He walked back to the girl, who continued to bawl; between her tears she mumbled apologizes. But despite the mess and clouds of dust, Hinata was unharmed and untouched. Her short, skinny legs were glowing, yet as he came closer it diminished.

"I'm s-sorwee," she cried, her small fists covering her face. "I-I-I di-didn't mean to! I-I w-wont d-do it-it again!"

She stopped, surprised at the feeling of warm arms wrapping themselves around her small body, pulling her into an unyielding chest. She stilled, feeling a hand stroke her small head soothingly.

"It's alright, Hinata. This is what you're suppose to do." Shosei pulled away to look into her large, strange eyes. "And what you will continue to do."

The girl just stared, confused and not quite understanding. "B-but," she whimpered. "I-I'll just h-hurt you again! I-I cant do that!"

"You can," Shosei said firmly. "And you will." He cupped the back of her leg and lifted it for her to see.

Over her left calf was a serial number similar to the one on the silver emblem that Shosei had. It was a single digit, unreadable for her and Hinata looked up to ask him what it was.

"Serial number six. Just like the number on the remains of the kakugane," the man muttered softly to himself. "Tell me again, Hinata. What type of tests did they put you in?"

"R-running in a m-maze," Hinata answered quickly, not liking the solemn expression her savoir wore.

"Were there anything in those mazes?"

She racked her memories, looking through the black outs and drugged hazes. She remembered having a feeling akin to fear, of running tirelessly through shifting mazes, her mother's blurred image in her mind.

**I am going to eat you.**

Hinata gasped and her body shook. Her eyes glazed over again and she stared aimlessly ahead. Shosei tightened his grip on her arms, frowning. "Hinata?"

**Let me eat you.**

**Run away. Keep running. It's much more fun.**

**I'm going to catch you. I'm going to eat you, little girl.**

"H-h-ho-homun-homun-" she stammered, her eyes, tearing with liquid.

He waited patiently, looking down at her sympathetically. She tried to finish, but her words became squeaks, beyond comprehending.

He hugged her tightly. "There were, weren't there?" he asked softly. "And they made you fight them all alone."

Hinata could only sob, grabbing onto his coat like a lifeline, desperately needing his warmth to escape the memories.

Shosei's glasses flashed in the sun as the other warriors approached in response to the explosion. Her didn't answer their questions, lifting the girl in his arms and carrying her away from the rumble and the curious and alarmed gazes.

"What have you concluded by this, Sakaguchi?"

The white haired man glanced at his superior standing in the shadows in acknowledgement, before returning his cool gaze down at the girl clutching him. She was so small, so tiny, yet inside her chest laid the kindest heart he's ever seen. Everything about her exploited gentleness, a softness not fit for one in her situation.

Shosei wasn't sure whether he should be amazed or appalled.

"I had a suspicion regarding the remains of the kakugane we found," he reported. "I ran a small test to confirm my suspicions."

"Were the results favorable?"

He closed his eyes and answered coolly, "Yes. I've determined why the rogue scientists broke the kakugane." A murmur from the girl he carried caused him to look, seeing that her sobs had eventually lured her to sleep. "I've also confirmed why they had this girl in their possession."

The man did not respond but Shosei can tell he was anxious to know by the way he shifted in the shadows.

Cradling her carefully, he lightly removed some hair from her face, caked perfectly to her cheeks by the dryness of her tears. She murmured again, moving in her sleep to come closer to his touch. The innocent act made him smile with bitterness, for he knew his next words will change her life for the worst.

"Whether the kakugane was broken before or after, I cannot conclude. However, this little girl was in their captivity for the sole fact that the kakugane had been implanted inside her body. Naturally or unnaturally is, too, unknown."

"I see." The pleasure and unnatural desire to investigate was evident in his voice. "I shall inform the rest of our brethren. In the meantime, I shall leave her in your care, Warrior Sakaguchi."

The man turned on his heel and left, his boots clacking in the halls as they retreated. Though he was out of range, Shosei still reply his confirmation of his orders. "Yes sir."

He turned in the opposite direction, to return the girl to her room. The only difference was that this time he held her close to his chest, hugging her fiercely. It appeared as though if he let his grip weaken, he would break.


	2. The Problem

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Buso Renkin.**

**2****nd**** Night -The Problem**

The little girl looked around, overly intimidated by the huge trees that surrounded her. It was mid-morning, but the large tresses of leaves made the forest ground as dark as evening. Among the shadows, evil hid, and it was her job to find it and eliminate it.

But how? Her eyes were nearly blind in the shadows, unkempt to such darkness after spending so many years in harsh light.

"_You're running out of time, Hinata."_ Her superior's voice startled her in the gloom, his voice as unconcerned as always. She never seen him distraught, always hiding his expressions under a mask of coolness.

"Y-yes, sir! I-I understand!" she replied through the radio transmitter and returned her gaze to the task at hand.

Hinata knew the monster was there, probably in perfect view in the trees, watching amusedly as she blundered in the darkness. It mocked her as she searched for it, laughing out loud. The echo spread through the vastness of the wood, making it extremely difficult to accurately pinpoint its location by sound alone.

She pursed her lips and closed her eyes to concentrate. Her legs tingled and she could feel them literally as they began to glow.

Inside her mind, a radar formed, complete with a detailed layout of the forest. It had been a technique she was forced to learn, if she were to ever find the hidden pathways of the mazes she was put in.

She shuffled her feet in the dirt, feeling through the soles of her shoes the presence of the ground, of everything inside the area.

The leaves ruffled as her target began to descend, either in curiosity to what she was doing or in boredom and was going to eat her finally. She felt its steps, pulsating through the connection the tree had with the earth.

Hinata turned, eyes opening to take in the surprised face of the grotesque homunculus and yelled out, "Buso Renkin! Aqua Auctor!" **(A/N: Latin for "Water Creator")**

Shosei cleaned his glasses of the dirt with a handkerchief he had hidden within his cloak. The explosion this time had been lowered to a minimum, so that only three-fourths of the land had been engulfed in the blast.

Even so, it still meant that the little girl was still having trouble controlling the power of her Buso Renkin.

No kidding, he thought, putting his glasses back on and taking in the damage. The radio transmitter in his ear hissed as Hinata cried out her apologies.

"I'm so sorry, S-Shosei, sir! I-I really t-tried to weaken it th-this time!"

His lips curled in amusement at her distress. Shosei was glad to that after three months of working with her, Hinata's stutter was nearly gone, only stuttering here and there rather than every word. He had to admit, though, he sort of missed it.

Hinata was no less cute, but her speech impediment had what distinguished her from all the rest of the warriors and the children the organization often took in.

He touched the transmitter to give an output signal. "Don't worry. The worst you could have done was destroy the whole valley," he assured her. "Stay where you are. I'm coming to find you."

"O-okay."

Shosei left their signal open so that he could find her and trudged his way through the wreckage. Overthrown trees clouded the path but the whole area lacked any corpses of animals. This gave two conclusions; either they had eaten prior to the confrontation by the homunculus or they were disintegrated in the blast.

It still surprised him, this power of Hinata's. after some detailed studying, it was concluded that her Buso Renkin was an elemental type; its power drew all the water molecules in the air into a concentrated matter, crushing into a pure, energy form before being released. It all happens it a mere millisecond, triggered at the slightest hint of intense emotions within the little girl. Anger, hate, fear… Even pleasant emotions such as happiness and joy. Her intense emotions were the trigger to her power, and so in a sense Hinata was a walking time bomb if not trained carefully.

Just as well, Shosei thought, now able to see the young girl waiting for him near the center. She was twiddling her thumbs in a habit he knew was from worry, making him smile again.

It was hard to imagine the raw power that was inside this girl. Dressed modestly in black shorts and a blue uniform shirt that was the standard uniform of the organization (though many of the warriors disregard it and dress the way they wanted), Hinata belonged more in a school setting than this wasteland of a forest. But it was due to the fact that it had been her to create the wasteland of a forest. But it was due to the fact that it had been her to create the wasteland in the first place made such imaginings just that. A fantasy.

Despite not knowing when exactly the kakugane was broken, it had been transplanted within the girl's legs, a medical feat that had been lost to the organization when the scientists were killed. Now Hinata was considered to be a living weapon and it was up to Shosei to help master the raw power of the Buso Renkin _without_ the aid of a medium.

It such a thing was impossible, then it was also his job to eliminate the problem.

Hinata turned around when he approached. She ran to him with a worried expression, her lavender tinted eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I'm really sorry, sir," she apologized again. "I-I'll try harder next time."

Shosei stopped her flow of apologizes with one firm pat on her head. Like always, the eight year old stopped talking and give him her outmost attention.

He smiled and slid his hand from her head to her shoulder, pushing her to walk. "Let's go, Hinata. Our work here is done." Patting her shoulder gently, he added, "You saved a lot of lives today. Good job."

Hinata gave him a brilliant smile, thankful for the praise and allowed him to lead her from the land and towards the place she called home.

After dropping the little girl off at the school room, the building designated for the teachings of the children taken care by the organization, Shosei made his way to the elders room to give his report.

Like always, they were enshrouded in shadow, the four men who kept the Alchemist Movement alive after the organization disbanded nearly a hundred years ago. They listened to him speak, asking the necessary questions about the mission.

Then the topic quickly turned quickly to Hinata.

"From your report, it seems little Hinata is still too dangerous for normal missions," one man said.

Shosei narrowed his eyes. "That is true," he admitted, "but the training exercises I've given her has taught her to maintain her power level nearly 40% than its usual output. I suggest we continue to put her through isolated missions."

Isolated missions were hunting the homunculi on their sanctuary, the place they claimed as their own. Far away from towns and especially people, the alchemists warriors were allowed to use their full strength without fear of civilian casualties.

For right now, these missions were perfect for one with unstable power such as Hinata.

"That is fine. But we expect more favorable results by the end of the month. Dismissed, Warrior Sakaguchi."

Shosei bowed and walked away from the room.

Though he hated deciding her future, he knew it was necessary. Hinata was simply too dangerous for ordinary life. But he still wished her could give her a day where she could experience what a child should.

He made a not to do so in the future.

Shosei went to his room to shower and change. Though it was less formal, he still wore a black attire and the dark cloak over his shoulders. Once he finished, he went down to the kitchen to get them both a meal, seeing as "school" would be letting out soon.

However, he only made it halfway before he was ambushed.

"Mr. Sakaguchi, a word if you please?"

Miss Alan had been a schoolteacher before coming to the organization. She was not a warrior, but had survived a homunculus attack on the school where she worked. Since learning about the monster, Miss Alan resolved to do everything she could to help in the secret war. And so, she taught the children the organization took in.

Sadly, despite being just the schoolteacher of orphans, the woman was not afraid to speak her mind when it came to her students.

"Sure," he agreed to her request. "Where is Hinata?"

"Showering, I hope. I had to sent her back to her room after she dirtied my entire classroom," Miss Alan glared at him. "I understand that the two of you had recently returned from a mission but the least you could do is allow the poor girl to change first."

Shosei smiled. It wasn't as though he had intentionally allowed for the girl to enter the room battle worn; duty just came first within the organization. It was also fun to rile the schoolteacher. Something about her scolding was simply charming and very amusing.

"But I also distinctively remembered that you also told me not to let Hinata miss any school. If I didn't let her go as I did, she would've missed today. Now which is it? Miss school or come dirty?"

The woman flushed and angrily replied, "You know I didn't mean it like that. As a warrior, Mr. Sakaguchi, you should understand that time is _very_ essential."

He held up his hands, surrendering for right now. "Alright, alright," he stopped her rant. "I shall try my best to get Hinata to school changed and properly attired. But I make no promises. If that's all, I must go and get our meals. Good day, Miss Alan."

Brilliantly, he managed to escape from the overprotective schoolteacher. For now, at least. Shosei had no doubt she would seek him out again, to explain his caretaker duties more fully.

The kitchens were actually a cafeteria, with the cooking area behind closed doors. There was an open window where they gave their orders to the head chef, who immediately ordered the others the many style of cooking needed to prepare the meals.

Shosei ordered a light meal for himself and a four course one for Hinata. The food would be taken to their rooms so there wasn't a necessary to wait. But the man liked to just hang out, to relax a bit with the free time he had left.

The food was prepared and carefully put on trays. Shosei followed the man who pushed the cart towards Hinata's room. Lifting his own plate from among the others to eat on the way.

It was amazing that the eight-year-old could eat this much. But the fast metabolism had been a side effect of the merging with the kakugane. The raw power took more energy from her body as it literally used her fighting spirit, rather than be activated by it. So the food she needed to eat was enormous. Shosei wasn't even sure if this four course meal was enough.

He knocked on her door and stood back to wait. He heard her stutter for the person to wait and shuffled sounds were made before the door opened.

"Hinata," Shosei greeted with a soft smile.

"A-ah! Sh-Shosei sir!" The little girl gave a hasty bow. Freshly scrubbed, she had changed out of her clothes to a modest outfit consisting of a heavy jacket and some shorts. Her long blue-black hair fluttered about her face, a bit frizzy from being dried with a towel.

Like always, the sight of her made his heart swell with warmth. Something about her smiled just made him happy.

It was such a dangerous emotion.

"I brought you food," he said, waving to present the cart with the many plates on it. It was funny, watching the embarrassed blush that covered her face at the enormity that the cart carried.

"Th-thank you."

"Don't forget to eat every bite of it. I don't want you to faint during a battle."

"Y-yes sir."

Shosei looked down at her for a while before concluding their conversation. "There wont be any practice today, so just take this day to rest." Patting her head, he left her to her meals and returned to his room.

Hinata was grateful. As soon as she closed the door, her legs collapsed from under her. She landed ungracefully and suppressed a moan of pain.

The serial number on both her legs pulsed, as though urging her to stand and fight. She could feel its power tug at her muscles, annoying insistent.

It scared her.

Hinata crawled towards the bathroom, where she had the tub filled with hot water. The tub was low based with the shower hanging overhead. This positioning allowed her to heave herself on the rim, before sliding one leg, then the other, into the water.

The heat scalded her but it immediately soothed the ache. She sat there, both legs deep, and sighed.

She was very grateful indeed, that Shosei left her take the day off. She didn't think she could hide her condition from her master much longer.

"There's been a report that a group of homunculi near this elementary school."

Shosei looked down at the map, face blank and eyes hidden behind his flashing glasses. The thoughts of wondering why he was being told this fled, realization kicking in.

"Sir, it has not been a month, less than two weeks," he pointed out carefully.

"We understand but this mission is too urgent. Already there's been reports of individuals missing. Right now, you and Hinata are the only ones available. Understood?"

Stiffly, the man bowed. "Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

He was mad. Hinata was sure of it.

Shosei had not said a word since they left the organization and relayed their orders. Now, he sat brooding in the car that was taking to their destination.

It was rare to see the man so angry. Usually, he had a mildly pleasant manner, not exactly friendly but decent enough. The usually cool gray eyes were stormy beneath the glass and he was clenching and unclenching his fingers. His face was impassive as ever, but Hinata could see the anger shimmering beneath.

She twiddle her thumbs, sneaking glances at her companion every so often. Though Shosei had made it clear at the start that he was not angry with her, she couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for his foul mood.

"U-um…" she swallowed, trying to make conversation to break the stifling silence. But it proved too heavy for her to break and found herself quiet once more.

Shosei glanced over to the fiddling girl and sighed at her. "I am not angry with you, Hinata," he said again.

"I-I know," she responded. "I-I just-"

Her reached over and entwined their fingers together, making her flush. It was the same way she had linked their fingers together the first time. The time when they met, the day he took her out of that blinding light.

"Calm down, Hinata," he told soothingly. "Calm down."

She found herself finally relaxing and her shoulders slumped in relief. The black clad man offered her a small smile, one that she gladly returned.

"That's better." He nodded his approval. He sat back, but did not released their entwine fingers. The little girl scooted closer and Shosei wrapped his arm around her, giving Hinata his comfort. This is how they sat during the duration of the ride, long after she fell asleep and curled on his lap.

Two strong emotions gripped the warrior's heart: affection and dread. In three short months, this little girl has wormed her way under his shields and became the very organ itself. It was no wonder that he was filled with such worry about how this job would affect her.

He tightened his hold and sighed. What was going to happen to them?


	3. Weasel

**Disclaimer: I don't own Buso Renkin nor Naruto.**

**A/N: I apologize to all my readers for the long and horrible wait. Unfortunately, my computer has decided to go into early retirement and so until I get a new computer updates will be slow (even more than usual) for all of my stories. No, I haven't stopped writing or anything of the sort. In fact, I'm fill with a bunch of new ideas. Sadly, though, my computer doesn't give a shit. **

**School has started and I'm very busy. But here's chapter 3. Enjoy.**

**Third Night - Weasel**

Hinata couldn't stop staring, her short body quivering a bit as she hid behind her superior's cloak. The elementary school loomed over the two with foreboding malice. There were shadows everywhere, speaking of the dark secrets it hid within.

Shosei squeezed her hand one last time before letting go to begin their infiltration of the school. The staff had long been gone and the custodian was reported to be doing his last rounds about the school. His loud, off-tune radio could be heard from some part of the building, possibly hard at work to get here quickly.

His hurried attempts to finish cleaning told of his fear to be alone in this school at night.

The little girl followed her sempai as he skillfully avoided the hardworking man and began to go inside the front doors, using a knife to break open the door. Drawing her inside, they began to search the school for things that should not be there.

It was overly cold inside with autumn. The chill filled the near empty hallways, whether from outside or unnatural means was unknown. But the coldness that gripped her heart was not of natural means,

Hinata could tell there was something here not human. No, not something. Far worse than that.

Some _things. _

She walked forward, almost skipping in her steps as her feet simply could not stay on the ground. Nervousness made her jittery and had her shoes been made of harder soles, they would have made _tepidity-tap_ sounds along the hallways.

Shosei looked back at her, but did not berate her unprofessional walk. Whenever she acted like this, a homunculus was definitely nearby. But she was acting worse than usual…

"Where are they, Hinata?"

She tried to speak, swallowing down the lump that clogged her throat. "Th-there," she pointed but changed direction. "I m-mean there." It changed again as the homunculus changed spots. "I-I'm sorry. It's hard to tell. I-it keeps moving!"

He patted her shoulder to quell her frustration. If he concentrated hard, he could still hear the rushed work of the custodian, signifying that he was still alive. Any sounds of the homunculus, however, was subdued by the plaster of walls between them.

His warrior instincts were not fooled. There was something in this school and it was above them, watching, perhaps with a new ability that was the quota of the monsters. One of them probably have either x-ray, vision, sensory or something of that nature. They could not let their guards down for a moment.

Shosei has seen many extraordinary homunculi that by this point the wasn't surprised by the abilities these creatures have gained after long years of eating human flesh. Years of this work has put him past normal human reaction and into the expectant nature of an Alchemist warrior.

But that concept could not be said for Hinata, who had begun to shake violently because of the strain. Her lavender-tinted eyes shone in the dark gloom, fear making them glow like lamps. Her breathing came in fast pants as hysteria settled in, her gaze searching all over: the hallways, the halls, as they possibly followed their targets.

Anger clouded Shosei's thoughts, hating the fact that she was being put through all this. In their usual isolated missions, Hinata had all the open space to freely attack and charge the enemy however she pleased.

But this place, the closed walls and hallways of the school resembled too much of mazes and her traumatic experience was making her a liability.

Shosei could almost feel the disaster.

He stepped behind her, throwing his cloak over the small girl and allowed her to grip the belt at his waist.

"Hinata," he ordered. "Stay close to me." He felt her nod against his side and was satisfied, at least for now.

Shosei held his Buso Renkin ready, searching the shadows for any bumps in the night.

Right now, it was at that moment, when the prey has been hidden from the predator and the predator comes out to fight for it. It all depends on the surprises.

From the distance, the custodian gave a surprised yell that quickly turned to a scream of death.

"Shit!"

The attacks came from all sides. Shosei morphed Buster Baron into a shield, the suit of armor enlarging itself around them. Blows clanged against the metal and Hinata gave a shriek as the ground exploded below them, water rushing out to fill the space.

Their hunch had been right. There are two homunculi, working together effectively as partners.

"S-Shosei!!" the girl yelped as the water encased her and dragged her down.

"Hinata!" Shosei grabbed her outstretched hand, but the armor cracked and smashed into him, as a strange, bandaged sword made chewing sounds, seeming to have absorbed the energy he used to wield the weapon.

The momentum threw him back, where he landed in debris that once had been a wall. Shosei lifted himself, groaning and glaring into the darkness, searching for the monster that dared to take his little girl. His side was torn, shredded actually, both his clothes and the flesh of his abdomen.

But Shosei ignored the large wound, more intent on finding his pupil and the enemy than to worry about his injuries.

"Heh! Still alive, are ya?"

Shosei turned, coming face to face with a monster.

He was abnormally tall and bulky with muscle, a broad farce whose leering smile was filled with sharp teeth and gills on either side of his cheeks. He had the appearance of a shark about him and held a huge sword partly wrapped in bandages over one broad shoulder. In the dim shadows, Shosei made out several curled blades peeking through the wrappings, resembling very much like shark's skin.

The homunculus tilted his head, weighing the strength and appearance of the alchemist warrior before him with small beady dark eyes, looking for openings in his guard and possible blind spots. He grinned lewdly and held out a hand in greeting.

"Name's Kisame. What's yours, warrior?" When Shosei didn't answer or made any attempt to, Kisame dropped his hand and shook his head in disapproval. "That's what I don't like about you alchemist warriors. No damn manners. Oh well. I guess I have to leave your grave unmarked then!"

The shark homunculus rushed forward with surprising speed despite his heavy body, lifting the strange sword in an upward arch before bringing it down with crushing force.

Quickly, Shosei summoned Buster Baron once more, the suit of armor managing to stop the sword as it descended, the impact giving a harsh screeching sound as the sparks flew. Suddenly with a groan of metal, the Baron gave way, making Shosei dodge or be completely skewered in half. He panted, incredibly tired though the battle had just begun.

It couldn't be from his wounds. He has had suffered far worse, managing to even win after a long tasking battle with more than one enemy. And yet he felt like an amateur, a rookie in his first battle that could barely give his worth.

Just what the hell was happening to him?

Kisame moved again, this time putting all of his weight behind his sword to push the suit of armor out of the way, planning to kill the injured warrior now and be done with. Shosei, instead, met him head on, using his smaller size to out maneuver the homunculus by using Buster Baron to throw him off his arm and crash through the wall.

The momentum brought the building to a shaking point, where the whole foundation was beginning to crumble. Cracks appeared along the walls, parts crumbling and filling the air with dust.

Shosei coughed, bringing the fabric of his coat to cover the lower part of his face. His hands began to shake, burning with the exertion he had put them through, to only manage to push the huge homunculus to the side and evade the bone-breaking impact.

The dust cleared and there stood Kisame, his grin almost insane in anticipation.

"It looks like yer a lot stronger than ya look," he observed. "But the effects are beginning to show. The pain must be a bitch."

Shosei gritted his teeth, trying to fight off the waves of exhaustion. Damn homunculus! He thought furiously. What had it done to him? What did that sword do?!

"I can see you cracking your brain trying to figure what happen. I'll tell ya," Kisame said, trying to be helpful despite knowing how much he was actually mocking the other man. "My special abilities are not limited to just my strength and stamina." He held out his sword, holding the blade sideways with one hand so what light cam through the windows could gleam off the scales.

"Those are only the beginnings of what I can do. Meet my Buso Renkin, Samehada! Like its name, 'Shark Skin', it doesn't slice, it shreds! Also, there's something else about my Samehada that makes it special."

Kisame swiped the air in front of Shosei, before holding the sword still to give him a frontal view.

Shosei's gray eyes widened as the crunching sounds began, the sounds of happy chewing filling his ears like the climax of a horror movie.

Just when he thought nothing could surprise him anymore, he thought wryly, feeling his strength being sapped, no, eaten by this monster sword.

"Samehada and I are one of a kind, a homunculus extension of myself. Not only does it shreds yer skin, it also drains yer energy." Swinging it to his face, Kisame licked the side of one scale. "Want to see more, warrior?"

Shosei kept his cool, refusing the feeling of panic to settle inside and cloud his judgment he stood on wobbly legs, keeping them firm and holding his weight, and held out his augean.

"_Hinata," _he whispered softly. _"Be strong."_

---

Meanwhile, Hinata faced a predicament of her own.

The water had taken her somewhere further into the building, where in the darkness she had been blindfolded, tied up, and gagged the moment the water left her. So she had no clue where she was, who had her, and what they were planning to do with her.

All she knew, as the water dripped from her clothes to the floor below, that she was inside a classroom by the lack of echoes, and the feeling of being in a closed off space.

The door slammed as her captor let her go, dropping her onto the cold surface of a chair before his footsteps disappeared. The little girl sat quietly, trying to escape her bounds while fighting the rising feelings of panic. She worried for her mentor, hoping that he was alright. She didn't think she could handle it if he got hurt.

Shosei was a strong man, but Hinata had a feeling these homunculi were different from the others they've faced, so much that she was absolutely terrified.

_Swoosh!_

The blindfold fell and she blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to clear them. The room had a dim glow of light, lowered so not to hurt her gaze. She blinked once more and looked up.

Red eyes, with pitch black comma markings were staring down at her. She felt her heart quickened and her blood ran cold as she noticed the rest of his features: noble, sculpted and handsome, with heavy lines running down the sides of his nose though it did not mar his perfection, rather it only enhanced it. Long black hair was tied back, letting feathery bangs frame his face.

Hinata couldn't speak, couldn't even breathe. She barely recognized it through the haze of her thoughts that something was wrong. She, whose only memories until now consisted of white labs, painful light and blessed darkness.

Yet despite all this, _she recognized this man._

He moved and she flinched, but he only untied her bindings, leaving her gag for last. Red stared into lavender as he quietly warned, "If you scream, I will silence you. I wont give you the details on how."

Hinata gulped and nodded her agreement, allowing him to remove the gag. Even if she was brave enough to defy him, she had no voice to scream, her throat gripped by hysteria, fear, and confusion.

Why did she know him? And by knowing him, did this mean that she had a life before the labs? Did _he _knew _her_? She wanted to ask, but couldn't. how could she when she couldn't even breathe?

His eyes narrowed. "You remember my face, but you don't remember me," he concluded. "It's a shame, but I must do my best then so you will understand what I say," he added softly to himself. He bent to a crouch before her chair and took hold of her hands, surprising and amazing Hinata with their size and slenderness.

"Hinata," he began, slowing his voice to take on a calming effect, allowing her to calm down and speak. "What is your family name?"

"S-S-Simone," Hinata stuttered far worse than usual.

The homunculus blinked but did not comment. Instead, he continued, "Where did you spent most of your life?"

"In-in a l-lab?"

"And before that?"

"I-I don't kn-know. Sh-Shosei was the o-one to find m-me," she told him, belatedly realizing that she should be giving out actual names.

"I see," he murmured, cupping his hands together over her own.

There was a sudden rumble, the room shaking as the walls cracked. The homunculus quickly shielded her with his body, his red gaze turning fierce with his anger. "Hinata," he asked, "do you love that man? This Shosei?"

She blushed, but nodded. "Y-yes. I do."

He sighed and released her. But not before pressing an emblem into her small hands. "Keep that close," he ordered. "We have much to discuss. Remember that I am not your enemy."

"H-how can I-I know?" Hinata asked, surprising herself by her sudden defiance.

"Well then…" Suddenly, he smirked. "Tell your superiors my name. If you tell them about Itachi Uchiha, they are sure to hunt me down."

Itachi pushed her, making Hinata fall backwards. Hinata closed her eyes, expecting the blow on her back from landing on the hard floor.

---

She felt nothing.

When she opened her eyes, Shosei was in front of her, a mixture of relief and worry on his face. "Hinata, what happened? Where is the homunculus? The homunculi?" he added, looking around in a fury for his own opponent. He gave a grimace and touched his side, blood trickling down his lips to the side of his chin, just as a light was flashed on them.

"Hey you two!" the custodian yelled, his presence there surprising them both. "The school is closed. What are you doing here?"

It was almost scary to see him there, especially when his scream led them to believe that he was dead. Hinata didn't know what to feel -happy, worried, horribly confused. It was too much for her young mind to handle all at once.

"S-Shosei, sir?" She looked and gave him an apologetic smile. "I-I'm sorry."

Eyes rolling back, she fainted.

"_I'll show you a sweet dream next time," said the weasel._


End file.
